


Not Usually

by FreezingRayne



Category: Baccano!
Genre: Assassins, Dreams, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-12
Updated: 2010-03-12
Packaged: 2017-10-07 22:27:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreezingRayne/pseuds/FreezingRayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That makes Claire smile, a flash of white teeth in the dark.  He's dressed all in black, the sort of material that clings to his body like a second skin.  It's most likely perfect for scaling the side of buildings to break into people's apartments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Usually

It feels like Rachel barely closes her eyes before she sees his face, eyes wild and bright, hair bleeding seamlessly into the spatter of crimson across his face. They're beneath the train, wind rushing by, the jutter of the car rattling through her bones and nearly shaking her free. He's beside her, the stench of blood iron-bright as he whispers in her ear.

The dream changes abruptly, as dreams do, and now he's pinning her down, inside of her in more ways than one. He moves on top of her, giving her exactly what she hasn't quite been able to admits she wants to her waking mind. At the same moment she can feel his hands inside her belly, rooting around through her organs on their way to her heart.

She wakes just as he's about to crush the pounding muscle between his fingers, sweaty and shaking and staring at the blank ceiling. The room is silent around her, and she wonders what it is that woke her up, until she hears a voice say—

"You dreaming about me?"

Her breath catches hard in her throat and she pulls her legs up defensively. Claire is sitting on the window sill, as comfortable as can be, curtains obscuring him as they drift slowly in the breeze.

Rachel considers lying for a moment. Then she says, "Yes."

That makes Claire smile, a flash of white teeth in the dark. He's dressed all in black, the sort of material that clings to his body like a second skin. It's most likely perfect for scaling the side of buildings to break into people's apartments.

"Was I killing you?" he asks. "Or was it…another sort of dream?"

"Both," Rachel responds steadily. It's strange—she isn't embarrassed at all. Confused, yes, possibly even terrified, but it never even occurs to her to lie to him.

Claire's smile gets even wider. "Is that how you like it?" It's not an accusation. Just a question.

"Not usually."

Claire laughs, soft and dangerous. It sends shivers racing frantically over Rachel's arms, and she feels her nipples tighten. If he can do this to her with his voice…

"Why are you here?" Rachel has a sudden, crazy thought that someone has taken a contract out on her life. Isn't that what Claire does?

"Don't worry yourself." Claire slides down from the window sill, padding over to the bed and setting a white envelope down on the nightstand. "I'm here to invite you to my wedding. Just so you know, I count you as one of my friends."

"Invite me to your wedding," Rachel repeats. "At three o'clock in the morning?"

"Hey, I was in the neighborhood." He grins, eyes going soft, gloved hand coming up to cup her cheek. The leather is cool against the line of her jaw. "If I wasn't engaged, maybe you and I could work something out." Then he laughs, like it's all been just a joke, springing up onto the window sill as lithely as an overgrown cat. "You know, I'll talk to Chane'. Maybe we still can."

Rachel frowns. "Still can what?"

He lets his gaze wander over her, and for a moment Rachel sees a flash of the Rail Tracer in his eyes.

"Work something out." And just like that, he's gone.


End file.
